Former Ultimate Fighting Championship great Anderson
Silva is crestfallen about the death of his friend, Diego
Braga.
The Brazilian mixed martial arts community was shocked by the
killing of former MMA fighter Diego Braga on Monday. The news
spread all across televised news broadcasts, opening another
chapter of the criminal territory dispute between militias and
narco criminals in Rio de Janeiro. A litany of famed names in the
sport attended the fighter’s funeral on Wednesday at the Jardim da
Saudade Cemetery.
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In addition to son Gabriel
Braga, a Professional Fighters League finalist in 2023,
others in attendance included Antonio
Rodrigo Nogueira, Davi Ramos,
Gustavo
Machado and Anderson
Silva. The UFC legend, who had trained muay thai with Braga in
his last MMA fights, was devastated and declined to speak to the
press. Instead, “The Spider” published a lengthy message on his
Instagram in
honor of his fallen friend and condemned authorities for the
increasing violence in Rio.
“A hard-working guy who, like many others, chases his dreams,
bought his motorcycle with his own effort, but it was stolen and
his rights were violated,” Silva remarked. “While those who have
the power to change normalized violence as if they could do
nothing, for them it is just another statistic…As long as justice
is working against the population, we will increasingly witness the
deconstruction of values and the loss of friends and
relatives.”
Silva continued, “Tears will not be enough to demonstrate the pain
of losing a friend like Diego; cannot be accepted. Such cowardice
and evil are truly something that cannot be understood or accepted.
The system plays against the good population, a hard-working guy
with a good heart who leaves behind a wife and children, and a
feeling of impotence and a lot of pain at his departure. My friend,
the great Diego Braga, has always been a human being of light in
the midst of so much darkness that often surrounds the wonderful
city of Rio de Janeiro. Diego, my brother, your memory will forever
be a beacon for all of us who remain. See you one day,
brother.”
Silva openly criticized a recent decision by the Brazilian Supreme
Court, DPF 635, which prohibits police from tending to situations
in the slums of Rio de Janeiro to avoid the potential deaths of
innocents. As a result, some believe that this decision transformed
these 600-plus slums across the massive city into safe havens for
criminals while attracting even more dangerous elements from other
Brazilian states.
The Muzema slum, where Braga lived and helped many children with
his social project titled “Tropa Thai,” is one dominated by
militias—ex-police or military that control the area by selling
basic supplies and “safety” by asking for monthly mandatory fees.
Last year, the Muzema slum and Morro do Banco, a neighboring slum,
were under the control of the criminal organization Comando
Vermelho, listed as the largest narco-criminal group in the city.
After Braga’s motorcycle was stolen on Monday, he decided to speak
to Morro do Banco’s leaders to retrieve it. He believed that as a
member of a local social project, his name would carry some
respect, and some individuals who recognized him would be glad to
help. This was not the case.
Instead of welcoming Braga, a teacher of youths in the area, as a
good person, the men he spoke to were suspicious. Allegedly taking
his phone, the men went through his contacts and recognized some
names from a rival faction. Braga reportedly tried to run, but he
was gunned down. This shooting drew immediate pushback from the
mayor of Rio de Janeiro, which included a temporary suspension of
the DPF 635 decision. Police forces quickly rushed into Morro de
Banco to retrieve Braga’s body and apprehend the individual(s) that
killed him. The dealers allegedly placed Braga’s body in the center
of a local square in the slum while also leaving an 18-year-old,
who they claimed was the one responsible for Braga’s death.
The national repercussion of Braga’s death was not only due to his
friendship with beloved figures like Nogueira and Silva but because
it reiterated the danger of the war between narco criminals and
militias in Rio. It also highlighted the harm that DPF 635 might be
causing the slums in Rio de Janeiro. This first reared its head
last October when three doctors were shot 33 times in Barra da
Tijuca Beach, once known as one of the safer places in the city. As
a note, the UFC has traveled to this area in particular because of
its safety.
The day after the doctors were shot, police tracked down narco
criminals from Comando Vermelho but found themselves amid a medical
convention. The ensuing confusion resulted in seven deaths in 12
hours. Among the four doctors shot, three died immediately. One was
shot 14 times but managed to survive after several surgeries. The
criminals responsible were found dead by the police 12 hours later,
allegedly killed by leaders of Comando Vermelho.
With police no longer going into slums to stop criminals, Comando
Vermelho had implemented its justice system. Not wishing for the
police forces to return to investigate crime or fight the drug
trade, the narco-criminal group allegedly condemned the guilty
parties to death. If they could handle matters before police
intervention and bring the killers to “justice,” they believed they
would stay safe from any special authorizations of police action.
With the mayor of Rio de Janeiro taking action and temporarily
revoking DPF 635, things may change going forward.